Support for Men with Prostate Cancer
Living with a serious disease such as cancer is not easy. Some people find they need help coping with the emotional as well as the practical aspects of their disease. Patients often get together in support groups, where they can share what they have learned about coping with their disease and the effects of treatment. Patients may want to talk with a member of their health care team about finding a support group.
People living with cancer may worry about caring for their families, keeping their jobs, or continuing daily activities. Concerns about treatments and managing side effects, hospital stays, and medical bills are also common. Doctors, nurses, dietitians and other members of the health care team can answer questions about treatment, working, or other activities. Meeting with a social worker, counselor, or member of the clergy can be helpful to those who want to talk about their feelings or discuss their concerns. Often, a social worker can suggest resources for help with rehabilitation, emotional support, financial aid, transportation, or home care.
It is natural for a man and his partner to be concerned about the effects of prostate cancer and its treatment on their sexual relationship. They may want to talk with the doctor about possible side effects and whether these are likely to be temporary or permanent. Whatever the outlook, it is usually helpful for patients and their partners to talk about their concerns and help one another find ways to be intimate during and after treatment.
Out in the Open
Before the past decade, not much support or information was available for prostate cancer patients. Then, in the early 1990s, public figures began talking openly about the disease, books and articles appeared, and hundreds of support groups sprang up nationwide. Numerous celebrity deaths from prostate cancer--among them actor Telly Savalas, musician Frank Zappa, singer Harry Belafonte and Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling --were clustered a few months apart. Other personalities, including former Sen. Bob Dole, golfer Arnold Palmer, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Guiliani and retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, went public with their experiences. Men started getting the message that the disease can strike any man and that it is possible to survive prostate cancer if it is discovered early enough.
Along with the abundance now of printed prostate materials, the burgeoning popularity of the Internet has helped spawn a new breed of prostate cancer patient, a well-informed man who is in charge of his destiny. Huge amounts of reliable material from organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and the physicians with Advanced Healthcare and Columbia St. Mary's here in the Milwaukee area are available online.
Patients also are using the Internet to connect with fellow patients through electronic mailing lists. This allows them to compare notes and get feedback on treatment decisions. Many prostate cancer doctors post messages to mailing lists and answer patient questions.
"I'm not sure I'd be alive today if it weren't for information I've gotten on the Internet," says prostate cancer patient Russ Ingram, who has located experts online who have helped him select the latest treatments for his spreading cancer.
For More Information
Contact any of these organizations for more on prostate cancer, support groups, and joining Internet mailing lists.
American Cancer Society
1-800-ACS-2345 (1-800-227-2345)
www.cancer.org
American Foundation for Urologic Disease
1128 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
1-800-828-7866
National Cancer Institute
Building 31, Room 10A03
31 Center Drive, MSC 2580
Bethesda, MD 20892-2580
1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237)
www.cancer.gov
National Prostate Cancer Coalition
1158 15th St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 463-9455
www.4npcc.org
US Too International Inc.
930 N. York Road, Suite 50
Hinsdale, IL 60521-2993
1-800-808-7866
www.ustoo.com
Booklets and other useful materials are available from the sources listed in the
Other Information Resources section.
